Chapter 2: Out of the Storm

;

September, 2007 (eleven years previous)

Leland Residence, Columbia Heights

5 p.m.

Myles got out of his car and made a beeline out the garage door to the yard area near the property line they shared with Tom Webber. The sky above was darkening fast, and the wind was picking up.

The weather forecasters were saying the hurricane would likely make landfall within 30 miles of downtown DC (rare, but not unheard of), and they'd been working for two days now to get things ready. Well, he'd been doing most of the work, but only because his wife had finally seen the wisdom in taking it easy at this point, in her condition.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing?"

She looked up from where she was kneeling in the dirt, putting the finishing touches on covers for the rosebushes. "What does it look like I'm doing?" she countered. "Making sure your prize roses don't end up in Virginia."

"You're eight and a half months pregnant, for heaven's sake! I told you I'd do it when I got home." His voice rose in pitch, only partially to get his exasperation across in the stiffening wind.

Elizabeth allowed him to help her to her feet, then she slipped her arm around his waist and smiled up at him. "I needed to get outside for a little bit," she answered calmly, "and Tom Webber helped me carry the stuff out here, so I wasn't lifting anything. And I'm not going to let your pride and joy get blown away. Besides, you promised me a bouquet for my room at the hospital."

Myles blinked. "Webber helped?"

She laughed. "Yes. I'll admit, I started to do it by myself, but he was walking his dog and came bustling over, informing me that there was no way he was going to have an FBI agent banging down his door because his very pregnant wife had tried to move a bunch of heavy stuff and hurt herself."

He shook his head in disbelief, and she laughed again. "By the way, he also asked me if you were aware that I'm the most stubborn woman on the planet."

"Believe me, I'm well aware of it," he commented dryly. "Now go inside and sit down for a bit, please. The rest of the team will be here shortly."

They'd decided, since it was entirely possible that they'd be needed at some point during the storm, even just to help DCPD, that a central location would be easiest to work from. The Gans lived a little further out, so the Lelands' home had been volunteered. And Myles had felt better knowing that Donna Gans and the kids would be there in case the team did have to go out. He didn't much like the idea of his very pregnant wife alone in their house in the middle of a hurricane.

:

(three hours later, 8 p.m.)

The wind howled now, and the rain sounded like it would come right through the storm shutters they'd finished putting up not two hours ago. The electricity was out, but the fireplace glowed and the company was fairly relaxed. It had the feel of a slumber party about it— portable munchies, warm cider and water for cocoa kept warm on the hearth, and a huge collection of comfortable cushions and sleeping bags. They'd basically congregated on the floor, exchanging stories and good-natured banter, all except Davey Gans. The 16-year-old was sprawled against the hearth, engrossed in his Game Boy. An ample supply of batteries was stashed in his knapsack.

Elizabeth suddenly stiffened beside her husband, and he turned from absently rubbing her back. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice strained just slightly. "Just another Braxton-Hicks contraction. They've been hitting a couple of times a day for the last week. Nothing I can't breathe through in a sec."

Dimitrius chuckled. "Those things plagued Donna for about a month before Tanya was born." He pulled his wife closer to him. "She kept saying, 'just get to the real thing already!' It wasn't until they were about ten minutes apart that we figured out it was the real thing."

"Dad…" 18-year-old Tanya Gans rolled her eyes at her father. Her dark skin might hide the blush, but the exasperation in her voice was unmistakable. "I'm so glad you were on a case the night of the prom…"

"How much longer, Liz?" Sue Hudson asked amid the chuckles that circled the room. They'd made sure there were several battery- or oil- lamps around as well, so Sue could lip-read easier.

"About two weeks, or that's what the doctor said," Elizabeth replied, signing as she spoke. "At least it'll be after this storm is gone."

Bobby Manning was shaking his head. "I still can't picture Myles changing diapers. I don't care how much of a good influence you are on him, Liz; I just cannot get an image in my head of that."

Myles entertained the Aussie with a classic nose-up-slightly "I-beg-your-pardon" expression. "I'll have you know we've already been practicing in our childbirth classes, and the teacher said I was a natural. Now, seeing you standing at a church altar without restraints will be something I'd never imagined."

There was laughter all around at that, and Darcy D'Angelo wrapped her arm around Bobby's waist. "Then bring your camera, Myles, because it's happening December 5th."

"In fact," Bobby commented, a bit hesitantly. "We had a bit of a discussion, and it didn't seem fair that the ladies all get to be bridesmaids and I only get one best man. So, if Jack doesn't mind sharing the glory…"

Jack laughed. "Hey, if it means I don't have to come up with an eloquent toast, I'm all for it."

Now the Aussie's eyes dropped for just a second, and when he looked up at the man he'd sat across a desk from for the better part of ten years there was a warmth in his eyes he'd never let show before. "Myles… uh… would you stand with me and make sure I don't bolt at the last minute?" He acknowledged the shock in Myles' eyes and covered the moment with, "and D, too, of course."

Myles swallowed once; then let his own walls drop enough to meet the gift he'd just received with an equal one. "Bobby, I'd be honored."

The moment could have gotten awkward for the guys, if Elizabeth hadn't grabbed Myles' arm at that moment and all but doubled over, breathing hard.

"Sweetheart?" His voice rose slightly.

It took a minute, but her breathing slowed and she sat back up, leaning back against the cushion he'd propped against the wall for her. "Whoa. That one was rough. I'm all right, love. It just caught me off-guard, is all."

"Are you sure?"

The psychologist laughed softly. "Will you relax? We're not due for another two weeks. Quit treating me like I'm spun glass."

"When we've been through this once, then I'll relax," he replied with a smile. "Until then, I'm in unknown territory, and the rule is 'paranoia.'"

His comment brought laughter all around; they were the first of the rest of the team to be expanding their family. Tara and Sam had married about four months after them, followed by Jack and Sue the following spring. Lucy, who was taking care of her grandmother this evening, had just married a stockbroker she'd met while his company was helping on a case, and she'd been offered a position in Office Services, just below Randy Pitts, who was scheduled to retire shortly. Word had it she would move into the position when it opened.

"At least Sam's in San Francisco for all this," Tara commented with a sigh. "He still gets shaky during thunderstorms, let alone a full-blown hurricane."

"Is that the only aftermath left from the thing with Matthews?" Bobby asked.

"Yes. And even that's fading," she replied. "He's doing great." She reached into the cat carrier and stroked Glorfindel gently. Her own cat had died a year previous, and now the white cat with the black nose had become as important to her as to Sam.

Elizabeth started to get to her feet, her breath coming a bit heavy. When Myles started to reach for her, she waved him off. "I'm fine; I just need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

D chuckled at the exasperation in her voice as she left the room. "They should give combat pay to expectant fathers. Especially during the last trimester."

Donna Gans swatted him on the shoulder. "You try carrying around an extra thirty pounds for three months, and see how cheerful you are."

Suddenly, a shaky voice reached them from the recesses of the house, barely above the sound of the storm. "Myles?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Uh…" There was a pause. "You might want to bring Donna with you."

He was on his feet immediately. "What? Why?" He glanced at D's wife, who was already moving.

"Liz, are you okay?" she called, disappearing into the hallway. A moment later, she was back, her eyes wide. "Myles, how well did you two do at Lamaze?"

"Fine," he replied, not sure what was happening. "Why?"

She smiled faintly. "Because you're about to get the full experience. Liz's water just broke."

He felt the blood drain from his face so fast he had to grab hold of the stairway railing. "What?" A particularly strong gust of wind rattled the house so hard that he felt it actually shudder; a very good match for the way his pulse was racing.

D was at his side instantly, shaking him slightly by the arm. "Pass out later. Right now your wife needs you, functioning." He swung around to the rest of the group. "Ok, who used their first-aid training last?"

Tara was up now, too. "That would be me." She grinned at Bobby and Jack. "I don't think the Marx Brothers would be very good at this. One passed-out male is enough right now."

"You're in charge then, kiddo." Dimitrius said, steering Myles over toward the sofa and sitting him down. "Upstairs isn't going to work in this storm. We don't want to take the chance of any part of the roof blowing off. It's here or in the study; your choice."

The Harvard grad blinked, trying to get his mind around D's question and failing. "Uh…"

Tara took over. "Here's better, D," she said briskly. "That oversized ottoman will slide right up to the sofa here and make a perfect spot for her. There's clean dropcloths in the right-hand cabinet in the garage, top shelf. We painted the nursery last weekend, and I put the extra supplies there myself."

"Right. Jack, go get a couple." D whirled around as Jack disappeared. "Bobby, Darcy, find every towel they've got. Then check the bathrooms for a box of dental floss – preferably not the mint stuff."

"Towels… linen closet…" Myles was still trying to think clearly. "Upstairs hall… second right."

"Thank you," Dimitrius replied as a cry came from the downstairs bathroom. "Davey, take Levi and Glorfindel into the dining room, and keep them there. Stay away from the windows and the door to the patio. Myles, stay put. Donna and I will get Liz."

Tara had gone to the kitchen to scrub down her hands; she returned a minute later with a large mixing bowl and a pair of kitchen shears. Jack had gotten back from the garage and Sue was helping him get the dropcloths spread over the sofa. Then he went to grab the lamps and set them up so they'd have light to work with. After a moment, he looked around as if at a loss for something else to do. Then Tara, grinning, grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear. The look of abject relief on her unit leader's face made her laugh.

As he disappeared upstairs, Sue grabbed Tara's arm. "I want to help, but what can I do that doesn't involve running around in the dark where I can't hear or read anyone?"

"I have the perfect job for you," Tara signed and spoke. Then she pointed at Myles. "Keep him conscious until the Lamaze training kicks in. You're the backup coach."

Bobby and Darcy were back now, loaded down with towels, and by the time D and Donna helped Elizabeth back into the living room, a cozy little delivery area was all set up. D then sent Bobby and Darcy upstairs to help Jack.

The psychologist gasped as they got her down and Tara draped a sheet over her from the waist down.

"No! Not…" she groaned as another contraction took over; as soon as it passed, though, she tried to get up. "Not… sofa… Italian…leather… Myles…"

"Good heavens, sweetheart, we'll buy another one if we have to." His thought processes seemed to have kicked back into gear, because he took her by the shoulders and eased her down as Tara finished getting her ready and helped her swing her feet up onto the ottoman. "Just relax and let the rest of us worry about the details. Sue," he said, touching his friend's arm, "will you grab a couple of the big pillows from in front of the fireplace, please? She'll need them behind her back."

As Sue went to grab the cushions, Tara spoke to them both. "Liz, you're not quite dilated enough. Almost, but it's really important that you not push right now. You're going to have to breathe through the contractions. Got it?"

Elizabeth nodded, cringing as the wind shrieked around the house. "We can't call Dr. Lawrence. The phones are out."

Myles smoothed back her hair. "It's all right. As soon as the eye starts over us, I'll go get her. She only lives a block away." He took the cushion Sue handed him and placed it behind his wife's back, then helped Sue place the other one. "I guess this one just couldn't wait, huh?"

"Your sense of timing, I'm sure," the psychologist retorted. "And your refusal to take the easy way in anythi— oh, here we go again!" She closed her eyes tightly as another contraction started, her breath going out of control as the pain hit.

"Not yet, Liz!" Tara reminded her. "Myles, you've got to help her focus; don't let her hyperventilate, and don't let her push."

"You heard Doc Williams, love," the Harvard grad intoned softly, catching her gaze with his own and smiling at the raised brow she shot him. "Hey, she uses Williams for work; it's habit. Now, just like in class; in and out, slow and easy. Stay with me. Right here." He pointed to his own eyes, breathing with her to keep her in rhythm. "Almost there…"

"Almost… there?" she gasped in reply, her green eyes a mixture of humor and exasperation. "You… trade places… and see… if… you're… almost there."

Sue caught the fond smile that crossed his face, and glanced at Tara, her face furrowed in confusion. Her friend grinned. "Nothing important, Sue," she quipped, "Just a bit of mid-labor husband 'abuse.' Minus the colorful metaphors I heard the last time I had to deliver a baby."

Sue smiled in response as the contraction ended and Elizabeth took several deep breaths. Then Myles glanced up. "Hey, I knew there had to be some reason I put up with Lucy's barbs all these years. Good preparation."

"How you doing, Liz?" Tara asked.

"You tell me." Elizabeth's voice held an edge that made her friend smile again.

"I meant how are you feeling? You've got about a half-centimeter left to go."

"Do you need anything, love?" Myles was rubbing her back gently.

"An epidural would be nice about now," the psychologist quipped.

He laughed very softly. "I'm afraid we're fresh out. You sound like your throat's pretty dry, though. Would you like something to drink?"

"A shot of your best Scotch?"

Tara's laugh bubbled up. "That's it, Liz. You hang onto your sense of humor, amiga. You're gonna need it. D, can you grab a cup of ice chips from the kitchen? It's best for her."

"Yeah." He headed for the kitchen area, talking as he did so. "The rest of the guys and Darcy are working at relocating your nursery to the study for right now. Give the three of you a little privacy after all this. Tanya's getting some water warming to clean up the baby."

Donna returned from near the fireplace, where she'd been listening to the portable short-wave radio. "Weather Service says the eye-wall is about five miles out from us right now. It's going to go right over us."

"Well, if the house is still standing after that, it's perfect," D replied. "We'll have the max time to go get Liz's doctor, and get them to the hospital if that's needed." He handed Sue a cup full of crushed ice with a spoon in it, then moved to help his wife and daughter with their preparations.

"Here you go, Liz." Sue fed her a spoonful of ice.

The psychologist signed THANK YOU gratefully, then leaned her head against Myles' chest. Another contraction started, and for a few minutes there was no sound but her labored breathing and his soft encouragement. As it ended, she brought her hands to her face.

"Are you sure the Scotch isn't an option?" she whimpered softly.

He smiled, stroking her hair, and signing S-C-O-T-C-H AGAIN SHE ASK to Sue, who smiled as well. "Sweetheart, you're doing fine. I know this wasn't exactly the way we'd planned it, but think of the story you'll have to put in the baby book."

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile wanly. "You have a point there. But I think I'll let you write it, journal-master." Another contraction stole her voice, and when it passed she looked at Tara. "Please tell me we finally made it to that magic ten centimeters."

"You're in luck," the petite agent replied. "Ten it is. Now, next time, get ready to bear down, and let's get this done."

The wind seemed to gear up even as they did, howling around the house now like a freight train bearing down. Even Sue reacted as the house vibrated to its foundation. "You did have a good house inspector, right Myles?" she asked.

"He said it should withstand a hurricane," the Harvard grad responded. "Now we'll see exactly how much of an exaggeration that was." He could feel Elizabeth tense next to him and focused on her immediately. "Here we go, love. Just like we practiced."

"You just remember to add your push to mine," she gasped as she grabbed hold of her knees and took a breath.

"Ok, Liz, now!" Tara cried. "One, two, three…" Myles and Sue helped Elizabeth by supporting her back as she pushed with all she had. When Tara reached "ten," Elizabeth took a quick breath and they did it again. And once more…

"Ok, Liz, relax." Tara ordered as the contraction passed. Myles stroked his wife's hair out of her face and helped her take a mouthful of ice chips.

"It's ok, sweetheart," he murmured. "You're doing fine."

"If somebody would just turn off the stereo roaring outside," she gasped wearily, "it'd be a walk in the park."

Sue laughed softly. "I usually have it this loud, just so I can feel it." Now she decided a little distraction was in order. "So, have you two decided on names yet?"

Myles shook his head. "We narrowed it down to three 'finalists' for either a boy or a girl, but that's as far as we got."

"What?" Tara quipped. "No 'Myles Robert Leland IV' finalized?"

He gave his sister-in-law a look. "No," he defended amiably. "With M. Robert, Robert, and Myles already in line, we couldn't figure out how to keep another one separate. We did talk about maybe Matthew Robert, after both our fathers."

"I like that," Sue said. "Very classy."

"We can talk about it in a minute," Elizabeth broke in. "Here we go again."

All attention focused for a long two minutes as another contraction took over. The pain and pressure was incredible now, even with the breath control, and Elizabeth found tears escaping.

Just then, there was a loud crash outside, and the house trembled; one of the oak trees had undoubtedly uprooted and was now very likely halfway into their garage door. Glorfindel let out a yowl from the dining room at almost the same moment a cry ripped from Elizabeth's lips.

"Almost there, Liz!" Tara cried. "I see the head. Take a quick break, and on the next contraction, let's see if we can get this little one to make his or her debut."

Bobby poked his head out from the study. "Was that 'Fin or Liz? I couldn't tell."

"Both!" Myles retorted without looking a him. "I hope you all have that nursery set up, since you're obviously bored enough to be interrupting!"

The Aussie started to respond, but Darcy swatted him across the back of his head and dragged him back into the study. "Get back here and finish this crib! Jack's useless with a screwdriver!"

Myles shot a glare over his shoulder at them, then turned back to find his wife giggling between obviously pained breaths. "Sweetheart?" he asked, hoping she wasn't going to start hyperventilating.

"Oh!" she laughed, trying to work an explanation in between breaths. "I just… Sue… don't tell me you're one of these poor wives who has to do all the repairs yourself because your husband makes a bigger mess by trying to fix…" she trailed off, laughing again.

Sue laughed now as well. "I only got part of that, but yes, if I understand what you're asking, Jack isn't allowed the combination to the toolbox at home."

Elizabeth held her arm over her stomach. "Oh, that hurt like crazy, but I needed it." She grasped her husband's hand and smiled. "Come on, love. One more, and we can decide on that name."

He grinned at her. "And I can go inspect the crib before we use it."

She started to respond, but felt the contraction grip her and grabbed her knees again. "Oh, boy…"

It felt like she was pushing her entire insides out, and she could only faintly hear Tara saying, "That's it, Liz! Almost there! Come on!"

And then the pressure was gone, and a tiny cry sounded like angel song. She lay back and took a deep, deep breath, looking up at her husband, who was staring at the little person in Tara's arms with a mixture of joy and utter wonder on his face.

"What is it?" he asked breathlessly.

"It's a baby," she teased. "Come here, Papa, and cut the cord, then you can see for yourself."

Elizabeth gave him a gentle push, her face glowing through the exhaustion. "Go on," she whispered. "Welcome our son or daughter into the world."

He moved down next to Tara as D came back over and handed him the kitchen shears, now well-sterilized with hot water on the hearth. Hands shaking slightly, he cut the cord just above where D had tied it off. Donna brought over a blanket, and Tara handed the squirming bundle to Myles. The sound of the storm died down as he just gazed at the tiny form, his heart written all over his face and not caring who saw.

Elizabeth watched her husband, her heart full as she saw tears form at the corners of his eyes. "Well, don't keep me in suspense," she said softly. "You have to share, you know."

He looked up at her, and his voice broke as he moved back to sit beside her. "It's a girl," he said softly. "A beautiful little daughter."

"Oh!" Elizabeth reached for the tiny bundle and cradled it to her breast, moving the blanket aside to see the little face more clearly. "She's beautiful!"

He smiled. "I thought I just said that." A chuckle escaped as she swatted at him. "Just like her mother," he murmured as he pressed his lips to his wife's cheek.

"It got awfully quiet out here all of a sudden." Bobby, Darcy and Jack peeked out of the study together, the Aussie voicing their collective curiosity. "Are we allowed to enter the sanctum now?"

Tara grinned as she wiped her hands. "Come meet the newest member of the team."

:

"See?" D teased him when they got back to the house with Dr. Lawrence, who immediately went to see Elizabeth and the baby in the study. "No new teeth, no crawling yet. You didn't miss a thing in the twenty minutes we were gone."

Myles grinned a bit ruefully. "Okay, okay, O Wise One. You were right."

"We're gonna go scout the nearby neighbors and see if anyone needs some immediate help before the backwash starts. Give you guys a time alone." The older man turned to round up the rest of them when Myles caught his arm.

"D… thank you. I can't imagine what would have happened if you… Tara… all of you… hadn't been here." His eyes dropped a bit. "I— Thank you."

Dimitrius raised a brow at him. "You better get that image of yours back in place before we start to expect the teddy bear, Slim. You'll never live it down." The accompanying grin spoke volumes of how much the man had known anyway, all these years. "Enjoy the quiet. We'll be back in a bit."

Myles watched them all file out, torn between duty and his new family. Tara was last, and she shook a finger at him sternly. "Not an iota of guilt," she warned. "You were planning on two weeks paternity leave anyway. It starts right now."

He smiled and nodded, then turned to find Dr. Lawrence coming out of the study. "Doctor?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," she reassured. "Mother and baby girl are both healthy and strong, though your wife is understandably exhausted. The baby nursed for a few minutes, and now they're both asleep."

"That's wonderful," he breathed. "Thank you, Dr. Lawrence."

"Keep Elizabeth off her feet as much as possible for a couple of days, then bring them both in and we'll check them again. I'll call the pediatrician, and we'll do both exams at once. You have people who can help while you're at work, I assume."

He nodded. "I'm taking two weeks off, but my mother is also flying in as soon as the storm lets up and I can call her."

The doctor smiled. "Then I shall leave them in your capable hands, Mr. Leland. Congratulations."

:

"Toast."

He looked up to find his wife smiling at him. He was sitting in the rocking chair the team had brought down to the study as well, holding his newborn daughter and marveling at the tiny life that had just graced them.

"What?" he asked. "You're hungry, love?"

She smiled knowingly. "No, but I've seen that look on your face only one other time in my life, Myles Leland, and that was on our wedding day. You're toast. That little girl has her Daddy wrapped right up tight."

He laughed softly and watched the perfect little fingers wrap around his index finger, not even going all the way around yet. "Guilty as charged," he admitted. "So I suppose we should decide on a name for her, huh?"

Elizabeth's green eyes misted. "I already made my choice, love. Let's see if the same finalist popped into your head when you first saw her."

Myles looked down at his daughter again. "Sarah," he said softly, smiling when Elizabeth nodded. "Sarah Anne Leland." …

:

He watched her now as she pulled the bread out of the oven and laid it on the butcher block next to him. "Dad?" she asked with a grin, waving the potholder in front of his face. "You still awake?"

Myles reached out and tweaked her nose. "Just wandering a bit."

"Dinner's ready, and Mom said to come get you along with the bread."

He laughed out loud at that. "Can't possibly forget your signature garlic bread, even if you leave Dad in the kitchen. Come on, let's eat."